Rollers with good non-stick (high-release, low energy) surfaces are required in the processing and handling of adhesives, inks, toners, coatings and other materials for a wide variety of applications. The materials to be released may be liquids or solids. Release may be achieved either by using materials with low surface energies, or by coating, wrapping or impregnating the surface with low energy materials.
Generally, materials that have good release properties tend to be relatively soft and need improvement in the area of abrasion resistance and durability. This is exemplified by silicones and Teflon which are two of the most widely used materials for high release applications. Silicones tend to have good release properties (low surface energy) but not good wear resistance. A use of an improved coating based on a fluoropolymer resin (DuPont "Supra Silverstone") for a fuser roller is disclosed in Chen et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,547,759. Such coatings may have improved durability, but may not exhibit the high release characteristics of silicone materials.
Rollers used for transporting solid webs, or used in nip positions generally need to be resistant to wear and abrasion in addition to providing high release properties.
A general object of the invention is to provide improved coatings for idler rollers and laminating rollers, in which the coatings provide excellent wear resistance, excellent release characteristics, are non-marking, and provide a variety of surface finishes. The coatings should also be easy to apply in manufacture of the rollers.